Football Notes: Spanish Football League Prepares Plan To Prevent Poaching

One of the highest-profile issues to come out of the recent Spanish Football League (LFP) Assembly was the organization's plans to block the raiding of academies, "which has caused a so-called 'talent drain.'" LFP President Javier Tebas said, "We spoke about an issue that we're discussing with clubs and directors of football, which concerns academies and players under 16. We're trying to work out how to protect them and encourage clubs to keep nurturing these academies, because they are extremely important for the future" (MARCA, 11/16). ... Australian football player Mark Bresciano "has reportedly been banned by FIFA for four months" and fined $1.8M for an illegal club transfer. FIFA ruled that "the veteran Australian's transfer from a Qatar club" to the UAE was illegal (ESPN, 11/15).